


sweet, sweet summer

by lizalilac



Series: Soft Goro Week 2020 [2]
Category: Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: During Canon, Flirting, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Friendship, M/M, Mutual Pining, No Spoilers, Soft Goro Week 2020, Texting, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings, goro and ren take so long to order, sojiro and morgana are there for like two seconds
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-13
Updated: 2020-07-13
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:48:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25243414
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lizalilac/pseuds/lizalilac
Summary: Soft Goro Week Day 2: Coffee and SweetsToday (1:36 PM)gowo: Hello there, Amamiya.gowo: Are you free today, by chance? I found a lovely café that opened recently in Shibuya.gowo: I had planned on going there alone, but figured some company would be nice. Are you in?(Or, two dorks go to a new café and flirt a lot.)
Relationships: Akechi Goro/Amamiya Ren, Akechi Goro/Kurusu Akira, Akechi Goro/Persona 5 Protagonist
Series: Soft Goro Week 2020 [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1827298
Comments: 10
Kudos: 96
Collections: Day 2 - Coffee and Sweets, Marigolds Discord Recs





	sweet, sweet summer

“It’s so hooot…” Morgana whined, settling onto Ren’s lap to get some cool air from the fan.

“Well damn, I don’t control the weather,” he deadpanned. Heaving a sigh, he grabbed his phone and unlocked it yet again, hoping to see a notification from just about anyone. He’d already checked it multiple times beforehand, as if a message would magically pop up the next time he checked.

Ren started when he actually saw a new message, blinking slowly. He opened his notifications bar, feeling even more amazed when he saw it was from Akechi. Was Lady Luck smiling down on him today? Wait, maybe she just took pity on him when she saw him suffering from the heat…

** Today (1:36 PM) **

**gowo:** Hello there, Amamiya.

 **gowo:** Are you free today, by chance? I found a lovely café that opened recently in Shibuya.

 **gowo:** I had planned on going there alone, but figured some company would be nice. Are you in?

“Oh? Ohhh?” Ren asked absolutely nobody, staring at the text messages with thinly veiled awe. Morgana looked at him inquisitively, sneaking a peek at his phone to see what he was getting all excited over, then immediately groaned. Ren didn’t pay attention to him though, quickly typing a response.

**renren:** i’m free !!

 **renren:** you kinda saved my ass tbh, it’s really hot over here even with a fan

 **renren:** there,,, there is an actual ac there, right??

 **gowo:** I’m not sure, I haven’t gone inside yet. There should be proper air conditioning, though.

 **renren:** omw, be there in like 20

 **gowo:** Alright, see you at central street.

He chuckled at their chat nicknames, setting his phone down and going to find actual clothes to wear instead of pyjamas. He couldn’t help but grin when he remembered how confused Akechi was when Ren first changed them, but then seemed to accept it and found it funny as well.

As he got dressed and made himself look presentable, he forgot all about his previous woes caused by the heat. He ran a hand through his hair and put his phone into his pocket, letting Morgana climb into his bag before slinging it over his shoulders.

“Going out?” Sojiro asked when he saw Ren come downstairs.

Ren nodded, making his way over to the door. “Friend asked me to hang out, the chance of actual air conditioning was too good to pass up.”

Sojiro snorted at that. “Fair enough, go have fun.”

Ren checked the time on his phone as he headed out, confirming that there were fifteen more minutes left. More than enough time to get to Shibuya. It was a bit early for the butterflies to start up, but he couldn’t help it.

He finally made it to Central Street a little over ten minutes later, looking left and right for Akechi. It didn’t seem like he was here yet, so he leaned against the wall and took out his phone to text him.

** Today (1:53 PM) **

**renren:** i made it !! i’m waiting for u across from the bookstore

 **gowo:** Ah, I’m almost there. I see you.

Ren detached himself from the wall, trying to catch sight of Akechi again and-

Oh. He felt his heart skip a beat when he saw him, wearing a white t-shirt tucked into black skinny jeans and an unbuttoned black and grey flannel with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and his hair _tied back_. Ren really hoped his cheeks weren’t red as he waved to Akechi. Morgana grumbled quietly and leapt out of Ren’s bag, saying something about coming back when they’re done flirting, but Ren paid him no attention.

“Hey, Amamiya! I hope you weren’t waiting for long?” He asked, moving a strand of hair away from his eyes. God, that shouldn’t have been as endearing as it was.

“No, don’t worry. I just got here too,” Ren responded, internally cheering when he realized his voice didn’t shake as he spoke. Absolutely incredible.

Akechi smiled softly, tilting his head as a gesture for him to follow. “Let’s get going then, it’s not too far from here.”

He walked a few paces behind Akechi, letting him lead the way. At least, he told himself it was to let him lead the way, but he actually just wanted an excuse to look at Akechi’s legs. Why do they look that good in skinny jeans? Ren really wished he knew. He quickly looked away before Akechi realized he was trailing too far behind and walked a bit closer.

“Here it is, Caffè e Dolci!”

Ren stopped next to Akechi and took a look at the exterior. This store had previously been a clothing store which had to shut down due to lack of sales, though it was now replaced by a café that reminded him a bit of a cozy cottage. There was no outdoor seating as the place wasn’t built with that in mind, but then they entered the café and were met with light wooden flooring and plants adorning the corners and soft looking couches in booths that were reminiscent of the diner.

He looked over at Akechi and grinned, nodding appreciatively. “It does look nice. So far, the architecture and décor gets an A+.”

Akechi chuckled, walking over to one of the booths at the back and taking a seat, gesturing for Ren to sit across from him. “I haven’t been in here yet, so I don’t know what to expect from the coffee, but I hope it lives up to my expectations.”

A waitress came over to their table and greeted them, seemingly not having recognized Akechi as she gave them two menus and walked away. Ren looked up, gazing at Akechi once more as he tucked a bit of hair behind his ear and felt his heart flutter. He has no business looking that hot and cute at the same time.

“I’m surprised at how no one else recognizes you in this disguise, yet I noticed you immediately,” Ren commented.

Akechi looked up from his menu, resting his chin in his hand. “Huh, you’re right. I suppose you’re more observant than others?”

“Maybe.” Ren smiled, fiddling with a strand of hair. “Maybe I’m just observant when it comes to you?”

He raised an eyebrow, trying to look unimpressed, though he was obviously trying to hold back a smile. Please don’t hold your smile back, Ren thought, it’s absolutely adorable. “Mmhm? What else can you observe about me?”

“Well… I’ve observed that you look really good with your hair tied back,” Ren responded, hearing his heartbeat more than feeling it at this point. He tugged at the strand of hair still between his fingers, grinning playfully.

“Oh, really?” Akechi’s cheeks were a bit red, but he was smiling too now. Ren was so weak. “Should I wear my hair like this around you more often?”

Ren’s cheeks are probably on fire by now, there’s no way he can hide it, even though he’s looking away. His heart isn’t doing so well either, he’s surprised Akechi can’t hear his heartbeat from where he’s sitting. Or maybe he can, who knows.

“As- as you wish,” he stammered. Fuck, why did he stutter? He was internally screaming at himself to get his shit together, but it was so damn hard to do that when the man in front of him is so gorgeous. It didn’t help simplify matters when Akechi laughed into his hand, eyes crinkling adorably. _Fuck_.

“Glad you like it, Amamiya. I wondered how you’d react to seeing me look so casual,” Akechi revealed, still grinning. His smile fell as he looked back down at the menu, though. “But, uh… This is quite odd. I can’t seem to decide what to order.”

Ren finally felt himself calm down, deciding to take a look for himself. There were many types of hot and cold coffees listed, as well as some milkshakes and smoothies. There was also a dessert section that quickly caught his eye, because it was just as long as the two coffee lists combined. “Ooh, look at the sweets!”

“That’s the first thing you notice? Can’t blame you though, there’s a lot.” Akechi sighed, biting his lip. “None of the drinks have descriptions, though… I know what most of them are, but some aren’t very self-explanatory. Just what does a Mexican hot chocolate entail?”

“Ooh, I know that one. It’s hot chocolate with cinnamon and chili powder! I’ve never tried it but it’s definitely a spicier variant of hot chocolate. It actually sounds like something I’d love to drink on a December evening, in a pillow fort, with a movie playing…” Ren trailed off, his tone sounding a bit dreamy towards the end as he sighed wistfully. Damn it, now that he created that scenario, he can’t get it out of his head.

He heard Akechi chuckle and looked over to find him smothering a smile behind his hand. “You sound like you can’t wait for winter, huh? I never really do anything except for work during holidays, but I suppose when you put it that way, it does sound quite enjoyable.”

“Aw, come on, working during holidays is the worst,” Ren whined. “Now I’m determined to make you do something festive when winter holidays come around!”

“Are you planning out a date months in advance?” Akechi teased with a playful grin on his face. He called it a date? Oh god, Ren was sure his cheeks were up in flames again. “I’d love to, don’t worry. We should focus on the present for now though, we’ve got plenty of time to make plans.”

Ren was screaming for joy internally. Akechi called it a date and even seemed okay with the idea! He cleared his throat, looking back down at the menu in an effort to hide his cheeks. He can’t recall if there was ever a time that he got flustered this many times in a single day.

“You’re right, we’ve got a bigger problem to worry about. For example, this menu…” Ren groaned, running a hand through his hair and glancing back up at the other. Ren could’ve sworn that Akechi’s eyes were focused on the little action for a second before bringing his attention back to his face. His heart fluttered at the thought that maybe he isn’t the only distracted one.

“Hm, yes. Since we both seem to be having difficulties choosing something, why don’t we choose for each other?” Akechi proposed, fiddling with the corner of the menu page with his index finger and thumb.

“Ooh, that sounds good!” Ren smiled wide, flipping the menu back to the drinks. “I’m choosing for you, huh? Do you want a dessert too?”

Akechi hummed thoughtfully for a second, then nodded. “It’d be a shame not to try a dessert if that’s half of their menu. As for drinks, I’d prefer something hot.”

“Okay, gotcha. Get me something cold though, I’m dying right now,” Ren complained dramatically, acting as if he’s melting by splaying his arms out and resting his forehead onto the table. He switched to pressing his cheek against the cool wooden surface after a second, trying to read the menu from his admittedly very comfortable position.

He heard Akechi let out an incredibly cute laugh at his misery, which was honestly worth the act, especially after he reached out and held one of Ren’s hands that were sprawled across the table. “Oh no, I wonder what would bring this damsel in distress back to life?”

Ren looked up at him, blinking rapidly as he tried to register the fact that _Akechi was holding his fucking hand._ “Ah- Maybe… a kiss?” Ren asked, hoping his flirtatiousness is enough to hide the fact that he’s about to die. He didn’t realize that Akechi wasn’t wearing his gloves until now. His hand is so warm and soft…

“A kiss, hmm?” Akechi pulled Ren’s hand closer and pressed a gentle kiss against the back of it, looking right into his eyes with a small smirk. “I hope that was to my damsel’s liking.”

He sat up immediately, staring at Akechi with wide blinking eyes. God damn it, how many times is he gonna blush today? Ren tried to respond but couldn’t find the words, only managing to make a small embarrassed noise. “Yes, that- um, that was perfect,” he responded with a tiny smile.

Akechi released his hand, chuckling quietly. They settled into a comfortable quiet as they looked over the menu, switching between pages to decide on something to get for the other. Ren knew Akechi was okay with sweet stuff, but didn’t really go out of his way to get something sweet, so he immediately ruled out chocolate. Something less overbearing. Something like…

His eyes landed on the salted caramel latte, then remembered the pecan cheesecake that he saw earlier. Ren stifled a small grin, feeling incredibly accomplished. Pecan and caramel go incredibly well as flavors; it might be a bit sweet, but Ren knew enough about food and drinks to know that Akechi would enjoy them together nonetheless.

“Are you ready to order?” Ren asked, looking up at Akechi.

“Yes, I think I am. I hope you like my choices,” he responded with a little smile that almost looked shy.

“You don’t have to worry, I’ll like anything that you pick out for me.” Ren grinned at him before looking away to spot a waitress or waiter, raising his hand slightly to get someone’s attention. A waitress saw him and began walking towards them, so he dropped his hand back in his lap.

“Good afternoon! What can I get for you two today?” She asked with an obviously fake customer service smile.

Akechi went first, smiling back at her politely. Both of their smiles looked way too saccharine to Ren… Wait, Akechi doesn’t smile like that with him, the way he smiles when they’re together seems more genuine. Huh. “An iced crème brûlée latte and a brownie with vanilla ice cream on top.”

The waitress wrote it down on her notepad as Ren beamed at Akechi, obviously happy about what he chose. He smothered his smile before giving his order of a hot salted caramel latte and pecan cheesecake, glancing over at Akechi to catch his reaction. He tilted his head as if considering the combination, then grinned softly at him with a reassuring nod, causing Ren’s heartbeat to accelerate.

She told them that it’ll be out in about ten minutes, then walked away. Akechi was still gazing at Ren, fingers intertwined to prop his chin up on top of them as his elbows rested on the table. “You looked quite excited when I ordered for you, did I choose something good, by chance?” He asked, smiling.

Ren nodded, a wide grin on his face. “How did you know I like crème brûlée?”

“I didn’t,” Akechi said simply, his eyes crinkling like they do when he smiles genuinely. “It was just a lucky guess. I know that crème brûlée is relatively sweet, so my thought process went somewhat like… a sweet drink for a sweet boy?”

Holy shit. Ren took a moment to register the words, but when they did, he hid his face in his hands in an attempt to compose himself. “You- you smooth motherfucker,” he whined. He could hear Akechi trying to stop himself from laughing. He looked up from his hands and glared at Akechi, but it obviously wasn’t too intimidating since it only made Akechi laugh harder. Fuck, he can’t be too mad at him when he looks this adorable.

Akechi wiped away a tear as he calmed down from his laughing fit, shaking his head. “Ahh, teasing you is way too fun. You get so flustered, it’s adorable.”

“Hmph, I’ll get back at you for that…” Ren promised, pouting.

“Oh, really? What will you do, Amamiya?”

Ren felt as if a light bulb went off above his head at that moment. He smirked mischievously, taking Akechi’s hand and resting it against his cheek, keeping his own hand over it as if holding it. He tilted his head to kiss Akechi’s palm, making direct eye contact. “Something like this, _Goro_.”

Now it was Akechi’s turn to be at a loss for words, mouth left slightly ajar as his wide eyes blinked slowly. After a moment, he tore his hand away from Ren’s cheek and cradled it with his other hand, keeping his gaze on the floor as he stumbled over his words. Most notable was the deep blush spread across his cheeks, reaching to the tips of his ears. “Ah- um, wow, okay. Maybe- maybe I shouldn’t have underestimated you, Ren... Can I call you that?”

He laughed into his hand and nodded enthusiastically. “Of course, I just called you Goro, did I not?”

“It was quite surprising,” Goro admitted, looking much less dishevelled now that he had a moment to breathe. He chuckled to himself, continuing. “I thought I’d learned last time to watch what I say around you, but it seems I forgot.”

“You should be careful. I might catch you off guard again, honey.” Ren winked playfully, twisting a strand of his hair around his index finger.

The other raised an eyebrow and smiled as if challenging Ren to do so. “Do try your hardest, darling. I’ll wait for as long as you need,” he teased.

Ren just took a moment to gaze at him and hoped that his fondness wasn’t too obvious, reaching out to tuck a bit of Goro’s hair behind his ear after it had fallen in front of his eyes. “There, now I can see your pretty face.”

“You… you need to try harder than that,” Goro insisted as if his body language didn’t show how flustered he was. He averted his gaze, deciding that the wall was suddenly really interesting. Ren’s expression was definitely openly fond now, but he didn’t make any effort to hide it. He pulled his hand back, resting his face in both of his palms.

“Oh, I’m not trying to catch you off guard right now. I just think you look pretty all the time,” he explained. Ren was aware that he was being sappy, but he honestly couldn’t help it. Goro deserved to hear it, after all. Something about the way he was at a loss for words told Ren that he didn’t get actual compliments like that too often.

“Well, uh,” Goro started, clearing his throat. “Thank you, Ren. I’m glad you think so.”

At that moment, the waitress walked over to their table and set the drinks and plates down in front of them, thanking them for their patience before leaving. Goro swapped their desserts, noticing that she put the plates in front of the wrong person. Ren was too busy observing the drinks, making a small noise of awe at how good they looked. “This looks amazing, Goro! You were just guessing what I’d like, but it honestly seems like something I’d order.”

Goro grinned, looking at his own order. “Glad you like it. To tell you the truth, I wasn’t expecting them to do latte art, but this looks incredible.”

They both took a slow sip of their drinks, savouring the flavour. Ren took a small peek at Goro and felt his heart jump at the way his eyes lit up.

“You like it?”

“I really do. This is salted caramel, yes? I never thought that it would taste so good. Thank you, Ren,” he said with a smile on his face. Ren couldn’t get enough of the way his eyes crinkled, it was so damn precious and he didn’t know if Goro even knew he did it.

He grinned back, though his probably had a hint of playfulness behind it. “Good enough to put on your food blog, perhaps?”

Goro’s eyes widened. “How did you- Ah, why am I surprised that you know about it. But...” He trailed off for a bit before taking out his phone. “You know what, I was so invested in our conversation that I nearly forgot. I should probably recommend this place to my fans.”

Ren watched him as he positioned his camera, taking a few pics from different angles. He was probably looking through them to see which one looked the best. He almost didn’t hear Goro when he spoke, too busy mapping out every curve of his face.

“How did you find my blog? I’m somewhat curious,” Goro inquired, glancing up from his phone for a moment.

“I happened to hear about it from one of your fans, who’s also one of my mutuals on Twitter. They posted about one of your posts and I was like… huh, I never knew he had a food blog. You’re surprisingly good at food photography,” Ren complimented, taking a small sip from his drink.

Goro looked back at his phone with a slightly pleased expression on his face. “Really? Thank you for saying that.”

They sat in silence for a bit, both of them taking steady sips of their drinks and small bites of their desserts. A moment passed before Ren’s phone chimed, letting him know he got a notification. Goro looked up in surprise, blinking slowly.

“What’s that notification from?” He asked.

Ren pulled out his phone to check and felt his cheeks flush. Oh. Right. “Um, it’s nothing, don’t worry!”

“You sure?” Goro pressed, narrowing his eyes a bit and smiling. “Your phone went off as soon as I posted, do you have notifications on for my blog, perhaps?”

He scratched his cheek, nodding shyly. “Well… yes, I do. The food and drinks always look amazing, and seeing your opinion on them is fun.”

Ren tried to avoid Goro’s gaze, though the breathy little laugh he heard made him want to see the other’s expression. He risked a glance at him and saw Goro hiding a smile behind his hand, which made his heart swell. When he looked a little longer, he could see an obvious warmth in his eyes and Ren honestly had no idea what to do with that information.

“Why did you try to hide that from me? I feel flattered,” Goro said, moving his hand away from his face and using it to prop his chin up instead. Now that Ren could properly see his smile, he noticed a single dimple pressing into his left cheek. That’s way too adorable. Yep, there goes his soul, floating away…

He took a bite of the brownie to give himself time to answer, as well as to compose himself. The cool sweetness of the ice cream combined with the chewiness of the brownie helped him calm down. “Well, I wasn’t sure how you’d react to it. Plus, I didn’t want you to think I was just another annoying fan,” Ren explained, chuckling.

“Don’t worry, I know you’re not like that,” he reassured, then trailed off thoughtfully. Ren watched him as he furrowed his brow a bit, seemingly listening to the music that’s playing. “This song… Do you happen to know it? I feel like I’ve heard it somewhere but I can’t recall the title or artist.”

Ren took a moment to listen to the lyrics, then gasped. “Ooh, I know this one! It’s called ‘Fly Me To The Moon’ and this is the version by Frank Sinatra. I’ve always loved this song, despite how short it is.”

“That’s it!” Goro’s eyes widened, sitting up a bit straighter as he tapped away at something on his phone. “That’s being added to my playlist immediately. It’s been stuck in my head for ages but I kept forgetting to search for it online.”

“Glad I could help,” Ren responded with a quiet chuckle. He kept silent for a few more moments, listening to the song until it ended, making way for a new one.

“All the songs they play here seem to sound soft and relaxing,” Goro commented, placing his phone back onto the table. “It really helps amplify the atmosphere, pretty good move on their part.”

Ren hummed in agreement and took his final bite of the brownie, placing the fork back onto the plate as he took his time to enjoy the flavour. Goro seemed to be finishing up his cheesecake too, having finished his cup of coffee a few moments ago. Ren still had a little bit of his iced latte left, twirling the straw around in the glass and listening to the ice cubes shift around it.

“The coffee isn’t as good as Sojiro’s, but I can see myself coming back here for the desserts.” Now that he thinks about it, Ann would love the desserts here. He should tell her about the spot later. Ren sipped the coffee slowly, working at it until the glass was completely empty.

“I agree. I think it’s worth coming here for the atmosphere in general, it’s a very calming and private spot despite being in the middle of Shibuya,” Goro spoke.

“Care to join me if I decide to come here again?” Ren asked with a grin on his face.

Goro grinned back softly, nodding to Ren as he raised a hand to get the waitress’ attention. “Of course. Speaking of, let me pay for the both of us. I invited you out today after all, so I wanted to treat you.”

“Ah- you don’t need to do that!” Ren took out his wallet, ready to pay for his own stuff. “It might be expensive.”

“I insist. You can treat me next time, Ren.” He winked at him before turning to the waitress and asking for their total, handing her the appropriate sum of money. Ren pouted, reluctantly putting his wallet back. Though, Goro guaranteed a next time, so he couldn’t really bring himself to complain. Not when the thought of it is making his heart skip a beat. After making sure they left nothing behind in the café, they picked up Morgana from outside the cafe and walked to the station together.

“Thank you for today, Goro! I probably would’ve continued suffering in that stuffy attic if you hadn’t contacted me.”

“Haha, I’m glad I got you out of there then. I had a lot of fun, I’ll be honest,” Goro admitted, fiddling with his fingers now that he didn’t have a briefcase to hold. Ren watched him out of the corner of his eye, but he had no way of predicting that Goro would reach for one of Ren’s hands and intertwine their fingers together, smiling at him playfully. “I couldn’t resist, especially when no one can recognize me. Is this okay?”

Ren nodded frantically, not even trying to hide the colour dusting his cheeks. “It’s very okay.”

He watched as Goro laughed, with his single dimple and eyes crinkling and a tiny blush of his own, and he decided that Lady Luck was smiling down on him after all. It may be a bit premature, but he could barely wait for their next date.

**Author's Note:**

> oh my god it's so fluffy,,,, 
> 
> i couldn't hold myself back HAHAHAH i'm a sucker for cute akeshu interactions and this was honestly just incredibly self indulgent, i hope you enjoyed it nonetheless <333 also yes i referenced fly me to the moon again, i can't help it lmao i've been listening to it very often while writing these fics
> 
> also yes !!! ren's very good at being flirtatious when he tries but if anyone reciprocates he absolutely melts, which is perfect for goro because he's exactly the same. ppl can pry that headcanon out of my cold dead hands uwu


End file.
